§ Mr. Osborneasked the President of the Board of Trade how the increase in British cotton spinning spindles for the half year to January, 1952, compares with India's increase of nearly 400,000 spindles, and Japan's increase of 1,250,000; and what effect he estimates these developments will have on our export of finished textile goods.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftIn the period in question the number of ring spindles in the cotton industry in the United Kingdom increased by 177,000 and the number of mule spindles fell by 496,000. The growth of productive capacity in India and Japan may be expected to lead to intensified competition in many of our overseas markets, but I am not prepared to attempt to measure its effects.